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The Kimbro family evacuated from their Bear Valley home Sunday evening and is staying at the Red Cross shelter in Mariposa while crews work to contain the Detwiler Fire. Brianna Calixbcalix@mercedsunstar.com

The Kimbro family evacuated from their Bear Valley home Sunday evening and is staying at the Red Cross shelter in Mariposa while crews work to contain the Detwiler Fire. Brianna Calixbcalix@mercedsunstar.com

Detwiler Fire near Lake McClure burns thousands of acres in just hours

Thousands of acres of wild brush burned out of control Monday near Lake McClure in Mariposa County, forcing evacuations along several rural roads and damaging at least two buildings.

Calfire officials reported the Detwiler fire just before 4 p.m. Sunday. Five hours later, flames had raced through more than 2,500 acres of brush around Hunters Valley and Detwiler roads. Overnight, the fire erupted, torching more than 7,100 acres by Monday morning with zero containment, Calfire reported.

Crews from Merced City Fire Department deployed Sunday to assist in firefighting efforts.

Meanwhile, dry, hot weather and steep terrain hampered firefighting efforts at the heart of the fire, said Jaime Williams, a Calfire spokeswoman.

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Temperatures climbed as the day progress, but information about the fast-moving fire slowed and it was unclear Monday evening whether firefighters were making progress.

One structure was destroyed and another damaged, though it’s not clear what kind of structures they were. Williams was unable to say how many people were forced from their homes, whether any homes had been damaged, how many acres had burned as of Monday evening and whether any of the fire had been contained.

Janet Kirkland, 72, who lives in a ravine in Hunters Valley, was more prepared to evacuate Sunday than she was three years ago.

Last time, she left the house with the clothes on her back, her two dogs and her purse.

This time, she took all her legal documents in a steel box and a flash drive.

“I have no idea if my home burned or not,“ she said. “The last fire came into the back of the valley, nowhere close to us, and we were gone three days. This time every fire department from here to LA is on the fire.“

Her two dogs, a Pomeranian named Gizzy and a Manchester chihuahua named Precious, knew the evacuation routine, too.

“They saw the smoke, and I said ‘load up’ and they were in the car 10 minutes before I was,” Kirkland said.

After living in the foothills for more than 30 years, nothing surprises Kirkland anymore.